Individuals and companies may obtain a license for Missouri S&T technologies through the Office of Technology Transfer and Economic Development. Licenses and terms vary and are specific to each negotiated agreement.

How can entrepreneurs and established companies obtain commercialization rights for technologies invented at the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T)?

Individuals and companies interested in obtain rights to commercialize Missouri S&T technologies should contact the Office of Technology Transfer and Economic Development.

What technologies are available?

A list of licensable technologies is available from the Missouri S&T's Office of Technology Transfer and Economic Development (TTED) and also at tech.missouri.edu.Please more information, please contact us at (573) 341-6725.

How is information shared?

Non-confidential information (issued patents, published articles, etc.) is available upon request. Confidential information (patent applications, articles in press, unpublished scientific data and expertise) will be shared with potential commercialization partners signing a confidentiality agreement. You may want to meet Missouri S&T inventors and licensing professionals to discuss a potential technology transfer partnership.

What is a technology license?

A license is a negotiated legal contract in which the Missouri S&T grants an individual or company certain rights to use and/or sell inventions made by Missouri S&T employees. There are several different types of legal contracts that might be negotiated in a technology transfer partnership:

Option to license:This is a contract giving a potential licensee a specified amount of time (usually three to six months) to evaluate a specific invention for licensing. During this time, in return for a negotiated fee, the potential licensee usually will be granted exclusive rights to license the invention.

Research contract:Many companies lack the internal expertise or resources to develop a technology to the point that it can be commercialized. A common solution is to sponsor work by the inventors at Missouri S&T to develop and test a prototype, or to answer specific questions relevant to the company's commercialization plans. The research contract usually includes an exclusive right of first refusal to license the invention and any new inventions that come directly from the contracted R&D work.

License agreement:If a company decides it wants to commercialize a Missouri S&T invention, it must negotiate a license agreement that grants the company specific rights in return for payments to Missouri S&T, which are shared with inventors. Payments may include any or all of the following: reimbursement for past and future patenting expenses, up-front payments based on an invention's potential value, milestone payments based on progress toward commercialization and/or sales levels, and royalties on sales. The rights granted in a license agreement may encompass exclusive worldwide rights (e.g., pharmaceuticals); exclusivity by country, region or field of use (e.g., a product with a market that cannot be met by one company); or nonexclusive right to use or sell a technology (e.g., plant varieties and industrial processes).

For further information, please contact Keith Strassner at (573) 341-6725 or e-mail us.